A Teenager’s Lament
Over the past three years of my high school career, I have observed teen drug use and the increasing desire of my peers to take unhealthy risks for the sole purpose of partying and gaining “life experience.” I remember a point in my life where I was beyond shocked to hear of someone I knew doing pot. But, at this point I have become somewhat desensitized, because I am now aware of the sad reality, which is that everyone does it.
There is no limit to the genre of students which teen drug use has effected- the popular and the unpopular, the athletes as well as members of the robotics club, the dancers, the singers, the freshmen and the seniors– everyone is doing it. Ironically, even the leaders of my school’s ‘Students Against Destructive Decisions’ (SADD) are getting “turnt” on the weekends. While I would consider this to be a major form of hypocrisy, perhaps the bigger problem is that they don’t realize how destructive some of their decisions are…
Of course when I say everyone is doing it, be mindful that not everyone uses pot to the same extent. There are some who have tried it once and decided it was not for them. Often, they were not as satisfied as they expected to be. On the other hand, there are students who seem to indulge in alcohol and drugs as the highlight of all their social events. There are also the students who seem to never show up to school completely sober and even feel it necessary to get in a quick smoke after school before they go to sports practice.
Now when I say everyone is doing pot I do not mean for it to be taken in a completely literal sense because there are plenty of high school students who choose not to use drugs and alcohol for a number of reasons. Unfortunately, those who choose not to do pot feel out of place. And sometimes, they will hear, “you’re missing out.”
Speaking for myself, I am opposed to teen drug use because I am an athlete and I am determined to perform at the top of my game. I owe it to my coach and teammates to be the best version of myself for every practice and on game day. More important to me, is my moral integrity. I want to be a leader and someone who lives by example. I refuse to sacrifice my integrity for a so-called “good time.”
This blog is written by a sixteen-year-old rising senior.
